Red
by RedXTrouble
Summary: Red; it meant a lot of things to Sydney. She felt anger, hatred, jealously, passion and love when she saw it. Now, she felt it when she saw him. He was red. And she knew Red would be the death of her. KurapikaXOC
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **_Hey everyone! Welcome to "Red". I've had this idea in my head for a little while. I've written a few chapters up by this point, and I couldn't figure out a title. Then, I heard Red by Taylor Swift, and the line "Loving him was red," just suddenly connected to the story and the main character. Also Kurapika's eyes are red, I just couldn't resist. This is my first Hunter X Hunter fanfic (I still have no idea how I'm supposed to say that. I just say "Hunter, Hunter" because saying "Hunter X Hunter" just sounds weird to me. What is that X supposed to mean anyway?) Anyway, I've finished watching the anime (the 1999 one, dubbed in English) I haven't seen the OVA's yet, so my timeline won't be perfect, but this is a fanfiction, it doesn't need to be. I hope you guys will like it and you should totally review. I don't think this anime has enough fans. Anyone care to prove me wrong? Oh, and please note that since I'm going off the 1999 series and not the 2011, Kurapika's eyes are blue. R&R  
_

* * *

_**Red**_

_Prologue_

"_Blue could save her. Red would damn her."_

* * *

A boy steps out into her line of view. His eyes are blue as he scans his surroundings, clearly unaware of the mess he has just stepped into. The forest looks calm, but if he would turn only slightly towards the way he came, he would see smears of blood covering the grass and bark of the trees. She knows, though, that he won't turn around. He never was one for looking back.

Her stomach lurches and blood comes out of her mouth, but the noise she makes is inaudible to any ears but her own. Her arms can't move so the blood drips down her mouth and onto her clothes, not that it made much of a difference with the state she was in. She tries to keep her head up, to keep her eyes on the boy walking in front of her. He can't see her. He can't hear her. She can call out to him all she wants, but he'll never hear her. He'll never be able to rescue her.

_You think you're alone, but you're not. You think that you're the only one left. Well, I exist too. I'm still here._

The thoughts spin in her head as she thinks back to all the conversations, all the sleepless nights, and all the stories she'd shared with the boy. She wants to speak up, to tell him all the thoughts crashing around in her head, but no matter how loud she screams them, only she can hear herself. If only he would turn around, just turn around and see her. That's all he had to do, and the spell would be broken.

_I may not be like you. I may not be special. I may not be close enough to you for you to consider me a friend, but I'm here. In your shadow._

She knows he can't hear her, but she continues anyway, whispering these words to him. He doesn't acknowledge her, but he does stop walking. He bends down and picks something up from the ground. A yellow ribbon. She knows it well. The yellow ribbon that matches the intensity of his eyes, usually tied in a bow around her auburn hair.

_I've been protecting the part of you that refuses to let anyone in._

More blood stains the grass and her clothes. Without the ribbon, her hair has fallen to cover her face, touching the blood stained edges of her lips. Her eyes want to close, but she forces herself to keep them trained on the boy.

_I won't back down. I won't let them hurt you. I'd die before I'd allow them to do that._

That was a promise she was determined to keep. Even if this killed her. Even if she died trying to break these bonds, she'd protect him. She had to warn him. To somehow let him know what was to come. She had to find a way to save him from the same fate she was suffering from.

_You might not remember, but I promised you. You saved my life, and now I owe you mine._

She could still remember that day, so fresh in her mind. The day she first met him. The day he saved her. The day she knew just what she was meant to do in this life. What was most important to her.

_I don't regret following you. I don't regret protecting you. I don't regret fighting for you. I don't regret being your friend. I don't regret . . . _

Her breath catches in her throat and she stops. Does she regret that? Is she really okay with what that got her into? Blood drips and she lets her eyes droop for a moment. It was because of that one undeniable fact that she was here. It would be easy for her to regret that. It would be so simple to wish it hadn't happened. That she hadn't let it happen.

But no. She didn't have a choice in the matter. And she didn't want it to go away. To disappear. To never have existed.

_I don't regret loving you._

And she didn't. Her eyes snap back open as she hears leaves being crunched. The boy had taken a step forward. His right hand was clenched around the ribbon that hung loosely in his hand. He was shaking.

_I regret hiding in the shadows, not telling you before now. I regret being afraid. Afraid that you'd push me away. Now it's too late for me to go back. To tell you._

It was ironic really. All that time spent making sure she stayed hidden. Stayed in his shadow to keep from being detected. Now here she is, trapped in that very shadow, unable to do the one thing that had been her reason for being there in the first place.

_All I need now is for you to turn around. For once to look your shadow in the face and know I'm here. That's all I wish._

Now, she starts to cry. Anger radiates from her target, and she can't stand being the one who has done this too him. She wants to turn away again. She wants to not see the look on his face when he starts shifting around. She doesn't want him to stare into her with those piercing red eyes. Because the moment he does, she'll be trapped in this shadow permanently.

So, she closes her eyes once more, focusing intensely on him. Her stomach settles and the blood around her mouth becomes mere stains. He has to calm down. His eyes have to be blue. And then he has to turn around. He has to free her.

_Only four words can I say. _

Those four words echo in her head, pretending like they are floating to him.

_Maybe, just maybe . . ._

His shaking is less violent, but his grip on the ribbon is still tight.

_you'll hear them,_

She opens her eyes just in time to see him spin around, looking directly at her with his eyes of-

_Kurapika._

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Thanks so much for reading the Prologue guys! I'm super excited for this story! I planned like...the first couple of chapters before I attempted to write. I did a little bit of research, to make sure some things in the story will work right. That's just me for you. Please review! It really helps me to write faster! Also, if you go to my page you will see a link to a facebook page for this story. There I'll post character profiles, songs that relate to the story, previews, information on updates and stuff like that. It's just a way for me to keep in touch with you guys. If you like this story, then please go like that page. Like I said, I haven't seen many Hunter X Hunter fans, let's show the world just how many of us there are! And FYI, chapter one should be out (earliest is Saturday, latest is Next Friday)_


	2. Chapter 1: Four Months Earlier

_**Author's Note: **__Okay, so I'm getting Chapter 1 out on the earliest day xD Expect Chapter two to take me a little bit longer. Chapters probably won't be out on a regular schedule. Just depends on how long it takes me to finish them. Anyway, thank you to Nispedana for reviewing & liking the facebook page. It means alot to me. Oh, and again, I have only seen the 1999 anime. I am in the process of watching the OVA but that probably won't affect this story much. So, like I said, the timeline is probably off. Just reminding you because I've had people complain about timelines before (on a fanfic of mine from another site) ~Red_

* * *

_**Red**_

_Chapter 1_

_Four Months Earlier_

* * *

"Come out. I know you're following me."

The young girl stopped in her tracks, half bent forward into her next step so that her hair fell over her face. She tensed, but kept her green eyes trained on the figure in front of her. Perhaps she hadn't been as conspicuous as she would have liked. With a huff, she straightened her back and crossed her arms.

"Hm. Guess you didn't gain the title of 'Hunter' for nothing," she said.

The boy in front of her turned around, piercing her with his blue eyes. "Why are you following me?"

In reply, she took in a deep breath and sent her eyes to his. "You saved my life."

He almost had to sigh in exasperation at her reply. "Think nothing of it. I was just doing my job."

With a smile, she shook her head. "No. Your job was to protect my father."

"He wouldn't have been very happy if I'd let you die," he replied.

She only shrugged and took a step forward. "A life for a life," she said. "You saved mine. I owe it to you."

"Go home," he said, beginning to walk again.

She chose to stop responding at that point and returned to following silently behind him. Never in her life had she imagined leaving home for any other reason aside from taking the Hunter Exam, which she still was ineligible to do. She knew the boy in front of her was aggravated, most likely due to the fact that he could still sense her following him. There was no way he could hear her or see her through his peripheral vision. Silence was something she was very skilled at, and she knew just how far behind someone she would have to be to keep up with them while still being unseeable.

Ever since a young age, her father had been very adamant about her doing what her heart told her to do. That was part of the reason why she had spent so many years training to become a Hunter. With two Hunters in her family telling stories of their adventures, it was hard not to wish for a life like that. However, now her heart was being pulled in a different direction.

This one person, who had been hired by her father for protection, had saved her life. When she was mere seconds away from having the breath ripped out of her, he had set her free. Something in her told her that she couldn't leave it alone. She couldn't just let him walk away with only a 'thank you'. Once her father had released the Hunter from his contract, she had made a split second decision that following him, devoting her life to keeping him safe, was the only real option she had. Her life had been all about becoming a Hunter, but in light of recent events, she knew she wasn't ready for it. It made sense for her to give this boy her life, as it was him who took the initiative to save it. Yes, she believed that was the only solution. Protect him as he did her until she was strong enough to pass the Hunter Exam.

* * *

Kurapika wandered through the streets of the fairly isolated town, running through the map of directions he had been given in his head. He was well aware of the girl trailing behind him but decided she would lose interest soon enough. His top priority right now was to meet up with his informant. Upon being released from his previous mission, he had gotten word from someone with information of the Phantom Troupe, thus why he was scouring the city for his destination.

When he saw the worn down green sign of the South Rain Cafe he straightened his stance and peered inside. It wasn't very occupied, only having a booth or two taken up along side a few tables. He scanned the faces that he could see before stopping on the one in the booth in the far right corner of the cafe. With one last look behind him, Kurapika entered the cafe.

He kept his eyes on the table, ignoring the greeting given to him by the waitress behind the counter. The man in the booth had to be in his late twenties or early thirties and didn't look like the kind of person you just walked up to normally. Of course, the situation at hand wasn't exactly normal and neither was Kurapika, so that didn't concern him. When he locked eyes with the informant, the guy gave a small nod, indicating for Kurapika to sit down.

"Tell me what you know about the Phantom Troupe."

* * *

Kurapika exited the cafe a good fifteen minutes later than his informant. This was for two reasons. Mainly because he didn't want to be seen leaving at the same time. He didn't want to be mistaken as anything but a one time acquaintance. The second reason was so that he could grab something to eat before moving on. He may have been on a mission, but even his stomach needed filling from time to time to keep up energy.

Just before he decided to head out a ringing from his pocket distracted him. He quickly pulled out the phone and hit the answer button.

"Hello?" he said into the phone.

"Kurapika!" said the voice from the other line.

Kurapika was shocked for only a brief moment before giving a light smile. "Gon. It's been a while."

"Yeah," Gon replied, "Killua and I ran into Leorio and we wanted to see if you were nearby. We haven't gotten together as a group in a long time."

Kurapika's smile faded and he sighed before responding. "I'm sorry, Gon, but I'm on a mission right now and I don't have time to meet up with you guys."

If he had been able to see Gon, he was positive the boy's face would have fallen, but his voice gave no indication of such. "Oh really? That's too bad." Gon was quiet for a minute, but voices could be heard beyond him. "Right. So, Kurapika, just give us a call when you have some free time."

"Alright, Gon, I will," Kurapika said, his voice tight.

Gon began to speak his reply but was interrupted when someone else reached for the phone. "Kurapika!" Leorio called through the speaker. "I know you're all hell bent on avenging your clan and all, but even you need to take some time off every once in awhile. I mean damn, we haven't seen you in nearly a year."

Kurapika sighed. "My main objective is to find the Phantom Troupe, even if that means cutting down on the time I spend with you guys," he said. "Besides, we're all Hunters now. We're not children."

A low growl was heard from the other side, and the response that followed was in a hushed voice. "You forget that two of your friends _are_ children, Kurapika."

Silence was the only response Kurapika could give. Sometimes it was easy for him to forget that Gon and Killua were only barely past their preteen years. With everything that their group had been through together, it was hard to imagine the two as children. After all, Killua was a trained assassin, and Gon had seen more than his fair share of troubling sights. It had been easier for Kurapika to abandon his childhood along with the murder of his clan, but perhaps those two still had a chance at something.

"You're right," Kurapika said, "I'll make some time when I finish with this mission."

"Fine," Leorio grunted, "but don't be upset if I'm already gone by then."

For a moment, the tension around Kurapika disappeared and he let out a quiet chuckle. The conversation didn't last much longer as the phone was passed around the group for them to each say goodbye. Kurapika hung up his phone and placed it back in his pocket, shaking his head at the pair of eyes to the right that were watching him. She sure was one stubborn girl.

* * *

Kurapika had every intention of heading to the location a member of the Phantom Troupe had been spotted at, but not long after he left the cafe a storm came about. So, he put away his ambitions for the time being and rented a hotel room for the night. The day had been far from calm for him, what with the tension of the information he was given and the constant awareness of the girl trailing him.

The room he settled in was a fair sized room for one person. In the far left corner was a wooden table with two chairs, a bed pressed against the middle of the right wall, a reclining chair against the wall leading to the door, and a bathroom across from the bed. Kurapika was now sitting in the recliner with a book in hand, feeling for once that he was completely alone. After all, there was no way that girl could have gotten into his room. Not without his knowing that is. Though, his mind kept forcing his eyes to shift to the slightly open window every couple of minutes, making him constantly lose his place in his book. He was fairly certain that he had read the same paragraph at least eight times by that point.

After finally finishing and comprehending the paragraph, he began to relax as he read the next few pages in peace. That peace didn't last long, however, because right before the end of that section he heard a sneeze. Now, if it had come from the hall outside of his room he wouldn't have been concerned. If it had come from inside his room, he would have been fairly agitated. Though, it turned out that the sneeze was directed outside of his room, in the direction of the window.

If someone had been out and about (which was doubtful in the current weather situation) he wouldn't have been able to hear it over the storm. Even though it was quiet, it had still reached his ears, which caused him to believe that whoever had done it was level with his room. That was odd because he was on the third floor.

Standing up, he sat his book down where he had previously been sitting and made his way to the window. He pulled back the curtains and pushed the window up the rest of the way, cringing slightly as the rain was carried inside due to the wind. He had to take a step back from the window to get a good view of what was outside. There was a large, fully leaved tree about three feet from his window, though the leaves were fighting to stay on in the wind. Just barely visible among the whirling of the wind and leaves was a small form huddled up on a thick branch.

"What are you doing?" Kurapika asked to the all-too-familiar girl.

"K-keeping l-lookout," she replied, followed by another sneeze.

Kurapika sighed. It had to have been at least in the lower forties by this point, and that girl was sitting in a tree, with not so much as a raincoat on to protect her from the harsh weather.

"If you're so insistent on keeping up with me, why didn't you get a room?" he asked.

"Oh, that," she started, curling her hands around her shoulders. " . . . I have no money."

He stood silent for a moment, completely stunned. "You left home and didn't think to bring any money with you?"

She shrugged and sneezed before giving her reply. "I left completely last minute. I had to in order to catch up with you."

He sighed again, too tired to fight with her anymore. "Look, I'll leave the window open. Come in and dry off if you want."

With that, he walked away from the window, leaving the girl completely alone. As he walked into the bathroom to retrieve a towel for her, he heard a soft 'thump' against the carpet floor and the sound of the window locking. He walked back out and found the girl standing in front of the now closed window with her arms still wrapped around herself. Quickly, he tossed her the towel, which she caught with ease.

"You're gonna freeze, Sydney," he said, crossing his arms as he watched her rub the towel over her arms. "There's a robe in the bathroom. Take a shower and change into that until your clothes dry."

Sydney nodded obediently and scurried into the bathroom. Her dress was soaked and clung too tightly for her to slip off easily. Her usually tight cycling shorts felt like they would tear her skin if she tried to shed them, but she did so anyway. Overall, she was sore, red, and cold and wanting nothing more than to take the suggested shower.

* * *

The robe was plain white and fluffy, and it tickled her neck. It went longer than her dress, nearly covering her knees, and the warmth was well appreciated. After a few minutes under the hairdryer Sydney's auburn hair was tucked into a neat braid and buried under the robe. Much to her discomfort, her face was now completely visible to the body on the other side of the door, but allowing the damp hair to shiver across her face was even more uncomfortable.

Sydney opened the door and looked around sheepishly. The room was calm aside from the pounding of the rain against the window, which gave her a chill in remembering just how harsh the water could be. In the same position he had been earlier, Kurapika sat in the reclining chair reading his book. Sydney was sure to keep quiet as she closed the bathroom door, but as she began to make her way to the table on the other side of the room, Kurapika's eyes lifted from the book to focus on her.

She stopped in her tracks and intertwined her hands behind her back. Kurapika didn't speak, but motioned with his head towards the bed, which had been completely untouched since his arrival in the room. Without a word, Sydney walked over and unfurled the comforter enough to make room for her to fit in.

It was obvious he didn't intend to share the bed with her. The suggestion was that she could take the bed for now. She assumed that meant he was allowing her to stay for the remainder of the night, as it didn't seem the rain would be letting up soon.

So, she positioned herself under the covers, pulling them up to her chin. She didn't get a word from her current companion, not like she intended to in the first place. It was very well known to her that he didn't want her around. But that wasn't any of her concern. Her purpose was to protect him, whether he wanted the protection or not.

Due to this fact, she didn't try to make conversation with him either. Instead, she nuzzled against the blanket and closed her eyes. She was of no use to him in her current state. Plus, the rain interfered with her senses so much that it would be hard for her to sense something unless it was insanely strong. Tonight was safe. That she was sure of.

* * *

By morning the storm had calmed. A light drizzle was still falling over the city, but the worst had passed. Sydney knew this as soon as she awoke and stretched her arms. She was still clad in the bathrobe from the night before, so she arose to fetch her hopefully dry clothing. However, the distinct absence of a certain blond haired Hunter grabbed her attention first.

She surveyed each section of the room, but her protectee was nowhere to be found. Even when she checked the bathroom it was empty aside from her clothes. Before her thoughts could get the best of her, she changed into her clothes, which were mostly dry. Afterwards, she realized any signs that Kurapika had been in the room were missing.

As she unbraided her hair, letting the tangles of auburn scrawl around her face, she broke out into a grin. "I should have seen that coming," she said, bringing a hand up to her chin.

"It's time for the Hunter to become the hunted."

* * *

**Author's Note: **_I liked writing this chapter. I genuinely liked writing this chapter. Then again, I love writing, so that might not be saying much xD Thank you to all the people who liked the facebook page, I've met more Hunter X Hunter fans in two days than I have in a month from knowing that show! There's chapter one for you! You've met Sydney and I bet she sounds like a stalker. I realized that after I wrote it and realized it just adds onto her character. She's probably one of my favorite characters I've ever created. Well, I hope you guys liked it, review and tell me what you think! ~Red_


	3. Chapter 2: Black

**Author's Note: **_Well, this came about quicker than anticipated. Well, I am very grateful to everyone who has reviewed so far. It's nice to know that my fic is doing well. Please, expect chapter 3 to take a little more time (these have been like two days apart...Chapter 3 has only barely been started...but I hope I can get it finished soon) This chapter was fun to write (I love having Leorio in it. He's so fun to write with!) Making everything I want to happen, happen if 4 months will be difficult, but Nooooo, Sydney says that the story takes place in a 4 month period, and there's no use arguing with the main character of the story. She DID live it after all. (Oh, do I sound crazy by giving Sydney a voice of her own? It's a writer's thing. Our OC's tend to be pretty vocal. If you're a writer, you should understand) _

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Hunter X Hunter! I do own Sydney & her family and most characters that just come in. I don't own any of the Canon characters, but I only really use the main ones. The guy at the end? He's mine. Not important (doesn't even have a name yet) but he's mine._

* * *

_**Red**_

_Chapter 2_

_Black_

* * *

Sydney felt very lucky that her Hunter training had involved a lot of surveillance skills. Even though seeing inside the cafe where Kurapika had been was difficult, she was still able to find a plausible way to see the face of the person with whom he had met with the day before. Thankfully, memorizing faces was also a talent of hers.

So finding the man Kurapika was with wasn't too hard of a feat but getting the information she needed out of him was. She had no idea how Kurapika had convinced him to share the information, but she obviously wasn't doing it. Social skills were never a good trait she had. However, she did manage to trip some of the information out of him, enough for her to make her own deductions about the place in question.

The possibility of her having the location wrong was fair, but she knew there was no way she would get anything else out of the source. So this was her best chance at finding Kurapika again.

* * *

Most people didn't realize how difficult it was to get a seat on a full train without any money. She managed to, of course, with the innocent act. Giving the ticketeer a puppy pout and spinning a story about how she had gotten separated from her family on the previous train and was left with no money or other transport home was a surefire way to do it. At least, it was always a trick up her sleeve. Bringing in the tears had been necessary this time around.

After she had been given permission to ride, she was exhausted and fell limp against her seat. It was already a quarter past ten, and it would be well past noon by the time the train arrived in the town she hoped Kurapika was headed. Her seat was situated right beside the window where she could see the city, preparing for the blur of colors that would soon come.

About five minutes before the train was set to depart the seat beside her became heavy with an occupant. She didn't bother to look at the person at first, not really interested in making small talk. But curiosity got the best of her when she caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of her eyes. She turned her head completely to face her companion, being met with black eyes. The person beside her had maroon hair partially hidden under a beige hat with a long green dress and pink leggings. The only thing that really shocked her was how small the person was.

"You seem surprised by something," the person said, the voice obviously being female.

Sydney jumped at the voice but smiled nonetheless. "Oh. No. Surprised isn't the word I'd use. I'm just lost in my own mind," she said, tapping a finger against her temple.

"Yes, I can tell that as well," the lady replied with a laugh.

Sydney laughed as well, holding out her hand to the lady. "I'm Sydney."

"Melody," she replied, shaking Sydney's hand. "You have a very beautiful heartbeat. So strong yet . . . so light. Like a feather. Such a wonderful rhythm as well."

Sydney dropped her hand to her lap and knitted her brows together, still keeping the smile on her confused face. "My heartbeat?"

Melody nodded. "Yes. My hearing is very keen. I can pick up on the softest of sounds, heartbeats being one of them."

"That's a wonderful talent," Sydney commented. "It fits perfectly with your green aura."

This time it was Melody's face that gained a bit of confusion. Upon seeing her face, Sydney straightened up and folded some of her hair behind her ear. "Green is a very calm and relaxing color. It also represents someone very intune with their senses. To the people around it, it easily can soothe them. By the slight tint of it, I don't think the word 'comfortable' would fit in with you. It doesn't seem as if you're quite satisfied with life just yet. In fact, there is something in particular that is bogging you down. Be careful, your health can be at risk if you don't keep your color in check."

It took Sydney a moment to realize just how much she had said. When her father or mother had asked her about colors in the past, she was always supposed to explain what they meant and what she felt when she saw them. It was force of habit really, to go into detail about the colors. She had never really explained such things to someone outside of the family. So she was surprised when Melody's face changed from confusion to understanding with the nod of her head.

"You have a talent of your own," she said, smiling and showing off her pronounced teeth. "Thank you for the advice, I'll keep it close at mind."

From that point on, Sydney found herself avoiding conversation with Melody. It wasn't because she had any particular problem with her or anything; she just wasn't sure what else could be dragged out of her. That little bit of information about the colors had left her feeling naked and vulnerable, like she had given a piece of herself to someone. She didn't like that. So she turned her body towards the window and watched as the city buildings passed.

* * *

Noon had come and gone in a flash and it was already two in the afternoon by the time the train had pulled into the correct station. Sydney wanted nothing more than to bound off the train and go on in search of Kurapika, but the compulsion to bid Melody farewell overwhelmed her. So, Sydney turned to Melody just after she stood.

"This is my stop. It was a pleasure to meet you," Sydney said, bowing.

"The same to you," Melody replied, "I wish you luck with finding your friend."

Sydney stopped just before exiting their isle. She turned her head to Melody and furrowed her brows. "How did you know I was looking for someone?"

"Your heartbeat," Melody replied, "The moment this train stopped, it sped up and you became very nervous."

This made Sydney flush, realizing just how open she was to this lady because of something as simple as a heartbeat. It was an odd sensation for her, being as readable to others as they were to her. Nevertheless, she smiled and bowed again to Melody before giving a soft wave of a goodbye and headed off the train.

The moment her feet hit the pavement of the city, she froze. Her eyes grew wide and her muscles locked in place. She knew this feeling. Her body began to shake and she placed a hand over her mouth. She closed her eyes and counted to five, knowing people would be staring. Quickly regaining her breath, she stared straight ahead and began walking in no particular direction.

The feeling. It was all around. She couldn't pinpoint it, but she knew it better than any other. She couldn't see it, but she could feel it in her bones, in her soul. Something was in this city. A color was in this city. A strong color. Horrid. Evil.

"Black."

* * *

"You had a girl in your bed and you did _nothing_?" Leorio asked through the speakers of the phone.

Kurapika knew telling Leorio about the situation with Sydney was a bad idea. Completely unprofessional as well. But his relationship with them was anything but professional. And when Leorio called, ranting and raving about some stupid mess the three had gotten into and needed saving from, Kurapika couldn't help but mention his own dilemma in an attempt to assure Leorio that matters could have been much worse. Leorio's case wasn't even that bad. The three just had a little issue with money - being in debt.

"I'm not some beast, Leorio. She is a fifteen year old girl who ran away from home," Kurapika said, "And might I add that she is the daughter of one of my employers."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Leorio said, brushing off the latter half of Kurapika's argument. "And you _left _her there? By herself? What kind of a gentleman are you?"

Kurapika sighed at Leorio's lack of vision. "She needs to go home. And she won't do that if she can easily follow me. I didn't want to have to cause her any harm to get her to back off."

"What if she _doesn't_ back off?" Leorio asked. "What if she finds you?"

Kurapika was silent for a moment, and Leorio became slightly fearful. He was unable to tell if Kurapika was just thinking it through or if something much darker was running through his mind.

"I'll handle her if she comes back," was his only reply.

* * *

Sydney sped through the city, watching carefully at the colors passing by. There were many colors, many shades and tints, but none as black as the one she was feeling. If she could see it, she would have no problems locating it, but sensing it was a different case altogether. Black was the strongest of all the colors, and even if the owner wasn't immensely physically capable, they posed as a deep threat.

Black was dark. Evil. It showed the heart of someone completely uncaring. They had no regard for anyone but themselves and would do anything to advance their lives. They would make alliances but break them in as little as a second if they found it necessary.

And that's what scared her. That there was someone in this city with that kind of malice. If Kurapika were here, he would possibly be in danger. Her job was to protect him. If she thought there was even the slightest chance any harm would come to him, she had to protect him.

_Where could he be?_

As she ran, she began to feel something shift. The black was still there, still running strong, but something was interfering with it. She stopped for a moment and closed her eyes, concentrating on the feeling. Silence . . . and then . . . she felt it. The black. It clashed with something else. Her eyes closed tighter and the image of the blackness appeared in her mind. As she continued to listen and feel for the colors, another came into her mind. It started out with a soft glow, slowly gaining intensity. It looked like a flame rising higher and higher, becoming more powerful.

"Kurapika."

* * *

Kurapika regained his footing, feeling the blood drip down from the cut on his cheek. Following the trail of the Phantom Troupe had led him to a slightly more populated town, but he had been unable to find a trace of what he was looking for. Instead, he had found himself in combat with a very annoying man.

The man had a bigger build than Kurapika, by quite a lot, and had a bald head. His weapons seemed to be his fists in most occasions, but Kurapika noted that he kept a knife in his back pocket, thus explaining his cut. He wasn't sure why the guy had decided to pick a fight with him, but that he mentioned something about capturing the 'Chain User'. The guy wasn't a member of the Phantom Troupe but he had some association with them.

Kurapika reached for his sword but stopped when something yanked at his wrist. He looked down but didn't see anything at first. It took him a moment, but he soon realized that there was a thick thread, like a rope, wrapped around his wrist. The only thing was, it wasn't an actual rope. It was created by Nen.

"Kurapika!" Sydney's voice reached Kurapika's ears and he saw her run up to him. He saw that her left hand had her thumb and index finger held together against her palm while her remaining three fingers were pointing forward. When she reached him, she closed her remaining three fingers, and he felt the Nen around his wrist tighten.

"What are you doing?" he asked, tugging against the Nen.

"We have to get out of here!" she said, pulling her arm back in an attempt to pull Kurapika with her. "He's a Black!"

"A what?" Kurapika asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Sydney looked over at the guy and shook her head. "Just trust me, Kurapika."

Before either of them could do anything else, the guy ran at them, pulling his knife out. Instinctively, Sydney pulled back her Nen from Kurapika's arm and used her leg to push him back a step. Just before the man and the knife reached them, Sydney pushed her index fingers against her thumbs, pushing her Nen outwards. She crossed her arms, and at that exact moment the knife dove towards them. However, it stopped in mid air, colliding with some invisible force that the man rammed into only a millisecond later. The man was pushed backwards, banging into a tree.

The Nen field that Sydney had created shattered, and the force blew her back. Kurapika's hands caught her shoulders, causing him to skid a few feet back as well.

"Sydney! Are you okay?" Kurapika asked, leaning forward a bit to see her face.

She didn't have a chance to give him an answer because she instantly fell to her knees, panting and holding a hand against her chest.

"What in the hell was that?" the man asked, finally managing to recover from the blow.

Sydney's vision was failing her by this point. No matter where she looked, black clouds rimmed the image, and with each blink the image got darker. The last thing she distinctly remembered seeing was Kurapika running towards the Black. By that point she had closed her eyes to help her recover. Emitting the rope had been an easy feat for her, as that was the first object she had been trained to create. The shield on the other hand was harder to control. The size of it made it that much harder to maintain. She had been taught how to maintain items that copy real, physical ones, but she had very little practice with the latter.

By the time she opened her eyes again, the man was back against the tree, this time clearly unconscious. Kurapika was at her side, repeatedly asking her if she was alright. She held her hand up and sighed, giving him a pleading look that said 'please stop asking me that'. Once she gathered the strength to stand, with the help of Kurapika, he asked her once again if she was okay.

Her reply was a smile followed by the words, "Just mentally exhausted."

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Nooooo! I can't do action scenes! As you so obviously noticed, actions scenes are my huge weak point! I try so very hard to avoid them while still making them known. Thus why I switched to Sydney's POV in that little moment. My oh my. Well, let me make this clear, Chapter 3 probably WILL take a little while longer. Because...I've just barely started it. When I posted the prologue, Chapter 1 was already finished. And when I posted Chapter 1, Chapter 2 was over halfway done. Chapter three has...a few paragraphs, a page maybe so far xD And I've only planned up to chapter 4...so I need to plan more! (I mean, I know the basic outline of the entire series, but i don't have it completely planned.) I hope Melody was...in character enough. She'll be seen a lot more! In case you didn't gather, Melody in Senritsu. I'm using her English name for two reason. 1) that's what I've grown accustomed to calling her. 2) I would probably trip up on spelling her name so many times! Well, thanks for reading. I'd appreciate it if you'd review it. And if you like it, maybe you could share it with your friends. I love writing this story, and I hope you guys will like reading it. If you have any critisism feel free to give it. I've come a long way thanks to a small piece of critisism someone gave me a few months ago. Anyway, I'll see you guys in Chapter 3!_


	4. Chapter 3: Emission

**Author's Note: **_REALLY? Still only 2 days? To write and proofread a million times? Bah. I'm telling you I'm going to establish a pattern (or think i have one) and then BOOM, it'll just take me forever and a day! (I go back to school next week...so pretty soon it WILL take a little longer to get chapters updated) Anyway, 5 reviews? For 3 chapters (2 chapters and a prologue) That's awesome! I'm used to one review per chapter so...thanks guys! And BE WARNED! Fluff lies ahead. Not too much (I don't think) but enough for me. I like fluff and I think I did this alright. I hope Kurapika is in character...if he isn't...maybe someone could give me some tips on how to keep him better in character? Bah, anyway, read and enjoy!_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Hunter X Hunter. You know what I own! I told you last time!_

* * *

_**Red**_

_Chapter 3_

_Emission_

* * *

Mentally exhausted was putting it lightly. Sure, her mind was fuzzy and not working quite properly, but that was because of a mix of the energy she had to use to project her Nen plus the impact she took from having it shattered. Her body took a beating from it as well. There may not have been very many physical marks on her, but she lost a lot of strength from that.

Now, Kurapika and Sydney were walking through the city, trying to get a grip on what had just happened. Actually Kurapika was walking; Sydney looked more like she was limping. Kurapika ended up supporting her by holding one of her arms behind his neck.

"So," he started, "What was that?"

Sydney winced as she had to put a little bit more of her weight onto Kurapika. "Emission," she answered, her voice coming out hoarsely.

"You're a Nen user," he stated, shaking his head. She wasn't a Hunter, but she had obviously gotten some kind of Nen training.

"Partially," she said, "I'm still training."

They got silent and continued on. Sydney wasn't positive where they were going, but she assumed that Kurapika had an idea, or he wouldn't be helping her around. She'd be right, of course, but before she could ask, Kurapika stopped walking.

" . . . You're not going to leave me alone, are you?" he asked. "Even if I leave again, you'll follow me."

Sydney nodded and dropped her arm from around Kurapika. "Right. Especially after you were attacked by that Black."

"What does that mean?" he asked, crossing his arms and giving her a look that told her he expected an answer.

"It's . . ." she sighed and closed her eyes. "It's a long story. Just let me protect you, Kurapika." Her eyes opened again and this time they were shaking, unsteady, yet they never left Kurapika's.

"I don't need you to protect me, Sydney," he replied, reaching out a hand to steady her, but she pushed it away.

"Yes you do!" she shouted, the rest of her beginning to shake. "You can't see their colors!"

He was shocked to find that tears were forming in the girl's eyes. "You don't know how to read them," she whispered, clenching her fists. "I do."

Sydney rubbed one of her hands against her forehead and closed her eyes, feeling the world begin to go shaky again. The feeling of something brushing against her arms caused her to lightly lift her eyelids, seeing Kurapika attempt to support her again.

"Let's get you to a hospital and get you check out first. We'll talk about this after we make sure you're okay," he said.

Sydney held back the urge to tell him that the effects of overusing her Nen wouldn't last but a few hours. She didn't want them to go their separate ways, which she was certain would happen if he didn't think she needed help. The longer he thought she needed him, the longer she could keep him safe.

The hospital in town wasn't very large, nor were there very many patients or doctors. That was to be expected with the size of the town though. The upside was that they didn't have to wait long for a doctor to see Sydney. It turned out that Sydney just needed a few hours of rest (a fact that she smirked at), but did a basic examination on her anyway.

"Now, I want you to stay in this bed for the next couple of hours until your body has time to recover. Check in with the nurses before you leave. I want them to give you another examination to make sure you're fit to be out and about. Can you do that for me, Sydney?" the lady doctor asked, peering at Sydney from above her thin rimmed glasses.

Pressing her lips tightly together, Sydney nodded her head slowly, and when the doctor left her room she fell back against her stack of fluffed pillows. Kurapika was sitting in a chair across from her bed, seeming to be doing nothing of particular interest, so she closed her eyes and tried to let her mind fade out.

But that wasn't happening. Every time the darkness tried to overcome her the black energy, outlined with a light purple glow, crept back into her mind. Then the red tinted with orange would start to come into focus, and then she couldn't keep her eyes closed anymore. She didn't want to see whatever was coming next. She didn't want to see the red and the black duke it out.

So for nearly an hour she just laid on the bed staring at the ceiling, fidgeting with bringing her arms over her eyes, folding them over her stomach, and just letting them rest at her side. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get comfortable. She couldn't close her eyes to sleep, and even the half seconds of darkness she witnessed when she blinked began to join her in her troubles.

"You're supposed to be resting, Sydney," Kurapika said, startling the girl.

He had been silent throughout the examination and her trials for sleep, so hearing his voice so suddenly made her nearly jump with surprise. Her eyes shifted over to his where she saw his stern glance. Her sigh was immediate and frustrated, and her hand flew to her eyes.

"I can't," she said, staring at the parts of her palm that the light was hitting.

"Why not?" Kurapika asked, and she could only imagine the curious expression on his face (though she assumed he wouldn't actually be showing such a face.)

She thought for a moment on her answer. Just what was causing her to lose such a pristine opportunity to sleep? True, those images seemed to be the cause, but a thought nagged at her brain, one that had been there long before the pictures of darkness.

Before answering, she covered her eyes with her arm, using her other hand to pull the blanket up to her chin. "If I fall asleep," she said, "you'll disappear again."

She heard Kurapika's sigh but decided against lifting her arm to look at him. He was probably giving her some kind of disapproving look. It was no secret that he didn't want her around. He didn't like the idea of her protecting him. And it was a very reasonable deduction for her to assume he would leave again. That _was_ reasonable . . . right?

"I'll stay," he said, and Sydney sat up immediately, her arms falling to her side. Before she could speak, Kurapika held up his hand. "I'll stay _if _you'll get some rest. We still need to talk."

Sydney just sat there and watched as Kurapika opened up his book and began to read. When she should have been sleeping, she found herself wondering just what he was reading. She remembered seeing him read it that night in the rain, and now he was reading it again. It didn't look all that interesting, but he looked invested in it. She continued staring until his eyes wandered to hers again, this time with a gleam of a warning behind them.

With a slight smile playing on her lips, Sydney reached for the covers and pulled them over her head as she fell back onto the bed. Her eyes managed to close without the darkness coming to her, and as she began to fall into a state of unconsciousness the smile continued to stay on her face.

* * *

She woke up with a start, images from her mind still black and speckled with red. Her breathing began to slow as she realized that she was still in the hospital room and that she was entirely safe. The moment she became fully aware of her surroundings was the moment she began to freak out. Yes, she was in a hospital bed. Yes, she was exactly where she was when she fell asleep. But something else was missing. _Someone _else was missing.

Kurapika wasn't in the chair he had been in before, nor did she see him anywhere else in the room. That made her panic. He promised. He told her that if she got some rest, he would be there when she woke up. Yet here she was, awake, and he wasn't there. At the moment, she wasn't sure if she was more scared or angry. She didn't like being lied to. Especially not by someone important to her.

Just when she thought she was going to blow her gasket, the door to her room began to open. Instinctively, she crushed herself down against the pillows, in case it was a nurse. She didn't want to get yelled at for being awake instead of resting. Though, when she peeked out from underneath the covers she saw that it wasn't a nurse walking into her room. It was Kurapika.

She wasn't sure exactly when she got out of the bed, as she didn't even remember pushing the covers down, but she must have because now she was standing, her feet cold from being against the bare floor.

"Kurapika!" she shouted, throwing her arms around him just in time as she lost her footing. Thankfully, Kurapika saved them from toppling over by catching her with his hands against her waist. "I thought you left!"

"But I told you I was staying," Kurapika replied, a little unsure how to proceed at this point.

"I know," she said, pulling back a little, "You just . . . weren't here when I . . . woke up." She had to admit that it sounded kind of stupid coming out of her mouth. In fact, she sounded like some over-obsessed girlfriend. And that was not the case here. Not. At. All.

"You were really worried," he said astonished, dropping his arms back down to his side.

Sydney nodded and took two steps back to create some distance between the two. "Sorry," she mumbled, hesitantly lifted her hand to brush some hair behind her ears.

"No, I'm-" Kurapika gave her a tight smile and walked away from her, back to his chair. "Try to get some more rest Sydney."

She didn't really see the need for her to rest anymore. By her calculations, if the clock was right, then she'd been sleeping for close to three hours. Her body would likely be functional by that point, proven by the fact that her vision problems seemed to have dissipated. But with one look at him as he sat back down in his chair, she had no choice but to comply. A smile crept its way back onto her face as she situated herself back on the bed. This time, she didn't even attempt sleep though. Much to Kurapika's dismay, Sydney spent the entire time smiling at him.

"Pink," she giggled to herself.

* * *

By the time Sydney had gotten an examination and was given the okay to be out and about, the sun was setting. The nurse suggested that the two should stay at the hospital for the night. It was against protocol for them to do such a thing, but since Sydney was under resting orders, she could allow them to keep the room until morning. Sydney wasn't fond of the idea, but Kurapika convinced her that it would probably be a good idea.

So, Sydney agreed on the condition that her and Kurapika go for a walk to discuss the inevitable. So, they walked. In no particular direction. For no particular amount of time. She took the first couple of minutes to try and gather her thoughts, to try to explain matters to Kurapika. She had never explained how it all worked to anyone besides her family.

"I've been able to see, to sense colors ever since I was eleven," she said. "Both of my parents were Hunters, so they started training me from an early age. Once I mastered Ten . . . the colors came. And with them came . . . feelings." She was fairly certain she wasn't making a lot of sense, but when she looked at Kurapika's face, he showed no confusion. He didn't quite show understanding either. It was more like . . . listening intently.

So, she continued. "Colors radiate from people. All people. No," she stopped, correcting herself, "all living things. It reflects not only their emotions, but also the true nature of their souls."

Kurapika nodded, a hand pressed against his chin. "That's . . . quite unusual," he said, "but it explains why you were calling that guy 'Black'"

"I can tell what kind of person someone is by their color," Sydney said, rubbing her hands against her arms.

"So, what exactly does black mean?" Kurapika asked.

At the question, Sydney laughed. "Black is . . . well, tell me Kurapika, how do you feel when you see the color black? What do you think about?"

It didn't take him but a second to say, "Death. Darkness. Evil."

She clasped her hands together behind her back and stopped walking, staring up at the sky. "That's just what it is. When someone has a black aura . . . they're dangerous. Ruthless. They are consumed by the dread and horror of the world. They aren't always evil but . . ." she trailed off.

Kurapika stopped a few feet ahead of her and turned around. "Sydney?" he called. When she looked over at him, he continued. "What is my color?"

Another smile graced her lips and she closed her eyes, turning her head to the sky again. "It varies," she replied, "Shades and tints. But the same basic color."

"What color?" he repeated.

Once again Sydney found herself laughing, this time having to clench her stomach. "Kurapika, I can't just tell you your color. It disrupts the color. It makes you question it. And then you try to defy it." She thought back to Melody, how she told her about the color she saw. It was an accidental slip of the tongue. If Melody had asked her, she wouldn't have told her. If Melody knew how the reading worked, it would have caused more problems.

"I won't tell you your color. But I'll tell you how it makes me feel," she said, finally reverting back to her calm voice. "I feel a strong ambition. There is something you want more than anything else. And I get the feeling that you would do just about anything to accomplish it." Now that she was thinking about it, his color reminded her a lot of the black. Kurapika wasn't evil. She could tell that. But the feeling his color gave her, it felt cold, despite being such a warm color.

"But," she started, "right now, it's much lighter than that. I feel warmth coming from you." She closed her eyes again. "It reminds me of home. Of my family."

For a moment, Sydney allowed herself to miss them. Her family. She tried oh so very hard to keep her mind occupied with Kurapika, with keeping him safe, so she wouldn't think of them. It wasn't like she'd never been away from home before, of course she had, but not for an indefinite amount of time. Even when she was away from home, someone was always with her. Her father. Her mother. Her sister. Her brother. She was never alone. But now . . .

"Sydney?" she snapped out of her thoughts to look at Kurapika. "Do you miss them?"

Tentatively, she put a hand to her mouth, scratching softly against her bottom lip. "A bit," she said softly into her hand.

Kurapika stepped towards her with a light smile. "You have a family, Sydney. That is a wonderful thing. "

"You make it sound like having a family is something special," she said, slightly confused.

"For some people it is," was the only reply he gave her.

They once again slipped into silence, neither knowing what would come next in the conversation. Eventually, it was Kurapika's voice that made the breakthrough.

"I think it'd be in your best interest for you to go home."

Sydney's eye twitched and she raised her brow at him, crossing her arms. "You think I'm going to go home? You think after what happened today, that I'm going to let you go on unprotected?"

"Sydney! What happened today was of my own doing. I was looking for trouble and I found it," he said, lowering his voice, but strengthening the intensity.

"I have a feeling that's _not_ the trouble you were looking for." She lowered her voice to match his, realizing the sky was almost completely dark. "With people that have black aura, they don't attack for no reason. He had malicious intent. He attacked _you _on purpose. And he might do it again. I repeat, I'm not leaving."

"What aren't you understanding, Sydney?" he asked, his voice rising. "You might be able to see those colors, but that doesn't mean you can do anything about them. I'm a Hunter. I have jobs to do. Some of them are dangerous."

"And that's why you need me!" she shouted. "I told you, I've been training for a long time, Kurapika. I can handle myself."

"Not enough. You can't even hide your aura. If you could, you would have done it a long time ago so I couldn't sense you following me."

He was right. If she knew how to use Zetsu, she would have used it a long time ago. It would have saved her a lot of trouble. But she couldn't use it. Not effectively anyway.

"So I don't know Zetsu. I can use Ren. Isn't that good enough?" she asked.

The statement seemed to send Kurapika back, as the anger in his voice was put on hold. "You know Ren? But not Zetsu?"

"I tried really hard to learn Zetsu. But I just _couldn't_ block my aura flow. In all of my vain attempts, I started doing the opposite. My father says it's crazy. Bypassing Zetsu and going straight into Ren. But I did it," she said, shrugging.

"I'll admit that's impressive," Kurapika said, his voice more methodical now. "But not knowing Zetsu leaves you with a problem. That's a big weak point. I think you need to go home now more than ever."

"Why?" Sydney asked.

"You need to finish training," he replied.

Sydney let out a sigh and groaned, pulling at her hair. "I can't do that, Kurapika! My teacher is dead!"

Kurapika had absolutely no response to that.

"Both of my parents were Hunters. I told you that. But my mom taught me everything about Nen. My dad taught me everything else. She died three years ago, and my dad can't even attempt to take over my training. Heck, I couldn't even continue practicing on my own for a long time."

Sydney didn't want to admit it, but saying this to Kurapika scared her. Like with Melody, she felt bare and open. She felt that by showing this much of herself to someone else, that she wouldn't have enough of herself when all was said and done.

"I'm sorry, Sydney," Kurapika said.

She took a step back, leaning against the lamp post that was flickering above her. "It's not your fault," she said quietly. "Those things happen. People die."

Kurapika didn't understand this girl in the slightest. She seemed to have absolutely no sense of danger (much like Gon) but only when it came to herself. She was fully aware of the dangers of the world and the ones surrounding Kurapika, but when it came to matters that were dangerous to her (which were currently quite a few of the same ones that followed him) she completely ignored them.

This girl, who had the ability to see something no one else did, was advanced yet degraded in her training. She had good teachings, yet common sense she seemed to lack. Dedication seemed to be something she had a strong sense in, but she was also insanely absent minded. Of course, that only applied to matters concerning her.

"So, what do you plan to do?" he asked.

"Do you even have to ask?" she rubbed her temple and her eye twitched again. "If you think I need training so bad, why don't you train me?"

"That's not a good idea," Kurapika said. "I do have my own matters to tend to."

"That doesn't matter," she said, "I'm going to follow you anyway. I can either do it from your shadow, or you can let me travel along with you."

Now it was Kurapika who had to rub his temple. He was correct the first time. Sydney was one _stubborn_ girl. "So, you're serious? No matter what I say, or what I do, you're going to follow me?"

Sydney nodded, giving Kurapika an expectant look. At that, he sighed and rubbed his fingers against his eyes, his exhaustion getting the best of him.

"Fine," he said. "But if I let you come with me, you have to practice Zetsu," he said, holding up his hand when Sydney's face lit up, "_and _if I think that it's too dangerous, you leave. No questions asked."

She didn't like that final condition. How would she know if he really thought the situation was dangerous? How was she to know the he wasn't just trying to get rid of her?

She crinkled her nose and gave him a glare, letting her qualms be known.

"I don't believe in lying, Sydney," he said.

That took a little bit of the pressure off her chest.

"Can we go back to the hospital now?" Kurapika nearly pleaded, feeling sleep start to creep its way into him.

Sydney's eyes grew wide and she nearly screamed with joy. "Yes!" she shouted, earning her a raised brow from her new companion. She giggled a little and gave an apologetic look. "That was a 'yes' to going back to the hospital," she corrected, "I am freezing my tail end off!"

The moment the phrase left her mouth, she ended up laughing. It was such a . . . what was the word she was looking for? She couldn't quite place it, but that phrase was so odd in a normal speech pattern. Talk like that was normal around her home, but aside from her family, she never heard anyone talk like that.

While she kept her mind trapped in her little whirl of thoughts, Kurapika had stepped up beside her and wrapped his tabard around her shoulders. "It doesn't do much for the cold if worn properly, but this way will keep your shoulders warm, something your dress doesn't seem to do."

Sydney blushed, half in embarrassment and half because a part of her was saying that he was warmer than the tabard was. He _was _standing awfully close to her. His body heat and his aura were both radiating onto her, and she wasn't entirely sure that it was for the better if they moved apart.

All the way back to the hospital, thoughts of those kinds filled up her mind. She wasn't sure why she kept thinking about it. Kurapika moved a little bit away from her as they walked, but she used her free hand (the one not holding his tabard around her) to grab onto his sleeve. When he asked her about it, she simply blamed it on being dizzy, and he allowed her to keep a hold of him.

Her face remained pink and her body remained warm even when they arrived back at their room. Once she was firmly under her blankets and Kurapika was in his chair, she remembered that she still had his tabard. She knew that she should remove it from her shoulders and give it back to him, but as she lay there under the covers, wrapped in it, she couldn't help but feel a wave of comfort.

She sunk farther into the bed, letting the covers cover her head, and lifted Kurapika's tabard to her nose. She had never actually smelled Kurapika before (that would just be weird) but she could only assume that it smelled like him. After doing so, it had come undone from around her shoulders and she frowned, knowing she couldn't sit up to readjust it without him noticing. So she simply slipped it off her shoulders and held it in her hands, clutching it to her chest as she yawned.

She'd return it to him tomorrow.

The thought made her smile.

She would still be with him tomorrow.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_OMG there was FLUFF! Kind of...sort of...Anyway! You guys knew this was a KurapikaXOC so you knew something like this was coming. What? Was I supposed to wait til like...chapter 10 to make some fluff happen? Naw. Fluff happens a lot. And ...ya know. it's hard to describe Sydney to people. Her connection and her feelings for Kurapika. All of those things will be connected in a later chapter. Anyway! review! What did you like? What didn't you like? Any helpful suggestion?! I like reviews that give me more than 'good story'. Don't get me wrong, I like those too! Bah, what am I saying? Just review please!_


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